Vickers Wellington Bomber Vickers Wellington Bomber ; The "Wimpy" The Vickers Wellington, affectionately known as the "Wimpy," was armed with twin .330 machine guns in the nose and tail turrets. It also had 2 manually-operated .303 guns in the beam positions and could carry a 4,500 lb bomb load. Slow speed, limited ceiling, and a small bomb load soon made the Wellington obsolete, although one significant design advantage was Barnes-Wallace's geodetic lattice-work fuselage construction. This made the Wimpy extremely tough, and it often survived battle damage which would have destroyed other aircraft. "The Flying Cigar" was an occasional nickname for the Vickers Wellington Bomber, more commonly known as the "Wimpy". The term "Flying Cigar" alludes to the shape of the fuselage as seen from the profile perspective. After having early-on proved the inadequacy of the turret fire-power in fending off attacking fighters during daylight attacks, the Wellington went on to build up a great reputation for reliability and ruggedness in night bombing operations.

In April 1941, they were the first to drop the deadly "block-buster" bomb, during a raid on Emden, and they helped to initiate the Pathfinder target-indicating tactics. In service, the Wellington was known as "The Wimpy", after J. Wellington Wimpy, Popeye's friend. (cartoon characters) Glossary of WWII RAF Slang & Terminology GLOSSARY OF WWII R.A.F. SLANG & TERMINOLOGY RAF cartoon from WWII . A/c: aircraft. Acc or Trolley Acc: Accumulator (battery) used to start aircraft engines on the ground. Ack: under the old phonetic alphabet, "Ack" stood for the letter "A", thus "ack-ack" was "A-A" or anti-aircraft artillery. Adj.: short form for Adjutant - the administrative assistant to the CO of a squadron. Air Commode: Air Commodore. Airscrew: the complete assembly of three or four propellers, hub and spinner. Aircrew: the men who actually flew the bomber into battle. A.M.O.: Air Ministry Orders. See "bumph". Anchor: one who waits too long to drop by parachute.

Angels: a term used in airborne radio communications. One angel was 1000 feet, thus "angels 13" was 13,000 feet of altitude. AOC: Air Officer Commanding. Armourer: ground crew responsible for bombs, defensive ammunition, flares etc. Arse end charlie: rear gunner (R/AG). Arsy-tarsy: Aircrew Reception Centre. Bale or bail out: to leave an aircraft by jumping - hoping that some "clot" had packed your 'chute correctly. Bag: collect/secure, possibly illegally. Bags of: a great amount, as in "bags of flak over the target". Balbo: large formation of aircraft. Balloonatic: member of Balloon Command. Banana-boat: aircraft carrier. Bang on: to be right on target. By extension, to be right on the mark about any observation (also "spot on"). Basher: man, chap, fellow in a particular trade e.g. "stores basher". Battle dress blues: woolen working uniform. Bandit: enemy aircraft. Beatup: to fly very low over a populated airfield.

Beehive: very close formation of bombers (hive) with fighter escort (bees). Beer-lever: joystick. Belt: to travel at a high speed or to hit target heavily. Belt up: be quiet. Best blues: parade uniform. Binding: whining about conditions. Black, a: something reprehensible, e.g. "he's put up a black with the CO about the mess he made of the march-past". Blighty: the U.K. Blitz time: the time briefed for all aircraft to pass over target. Blood-wagon: ambulance. Bloody: at the time this was fairly heavy duty profanity, often made more mild by transliteration to "ruddy". Blue: used by the Australians in reference to anything that was red. Blue, the: the desert. Boffins: scientific or technical types who worked on new aircraft developments. Bog: a latrine - also "biffy". Bolshie: a crewman who took a "dim view" of service "bull". Boomerang: an operation that required one to return to base with a "u/s kite". Boost: the amount of supercharging given to an engine to increase power.

Bowser: tanker truck or "lorry" used to refuel aircraft "down the flights". B.P.D.: Base Personnel Disposal - where you went when you were "O.T.E.". Brass, the or Brasshats: commanding officers at the Wing or Group level, so called because of the amount of gold braid found on hats of Group Captains, Wing Commanders and Air Vice Marshalls. Brassed off: extremely unhappy. Also "browned off". Brew up: to prepare a pot of tea. Briefing: a meeting of all crew before an operation to receive instructions for the op. Brown Jobs: the army - also "pongos" and "squaddies". Brown, to get one's knees: to have spent time in the "MTO" - because of the heat the wearing of uniform "KD" shorts was necessary. Buggers, to play silly: to fool around - not take job seriously. Bull: the formalities of the service - parade ground bashing, saluting the King's commission, etc. Bully Beef: a "gourmet canned meat product" consisting largely of fat, so called because of the Bull on the front of a tin of Hereford Brand corned beef.

A staple food on Italian airfields. Bumph: useless paperwork. Bundoo, the: the boondocks - see "blue". Burton: "Gone for a Burton" - killed in action - from an old beer commercial for Burton Ale. Bus: an aircraft. Buy it: see "Burton". As in "Fred almost bought it over Verona last op". Also to "buy the farm". Caterpillar Club: a club for those who had survived by jumping out of their aircraft and using their parachutes. The club pin was a small caterpillar (representing the insect that made silk for the parachutes) and was given by the maker of parachutes. Chain Gang: aircrafthands, General Duties. Chairborne division: RAF personnel working in offices. Chance light: powerful light at end of runway which could be requested by a pilot in difficulty. Chiefy: Flight Sergeant. Chop, to get the: see "Burton". Chuffed: extremely happy. Chum: equivalent to the American "buddy" as in "wad'ya want chum?" Circuits and bumps: a pilot training exercise in landing an aircraft and immediately taking off again.

Equivalent to the American term "touch and go". Civvy street: what you did before or after you were in the R.A.F. Clapped out: an aircraft or person nearing the end of its useful life - worn out, tired. Clobber: the clothing and equipment it was necessary to wear in a wartime bomber. Clot: a person whose intelligence should be questioned. CO: Commanding Officer. Cockup: a situation that has become extremely disorganized (from the term "cocked hat"). Cookie: a 4000 H.C. bomb consisting of two light cased cylinders welded together and filled with amitol high explosive. It had the aerodynamic shape of a brick and was used to demolish large structures - also called a blockbuster. Coned: when one searchlight, often radar controlled, picked up an aircraft all of the others in the target area would swing onto that aircraft, thus "coning" it - then the flak would be "poured into the cone". Conservatory: cabin of a plane (from the perspex on three sides). Corkscrew: evasive maneuver performed when attacked by night fighter - sharp diving turn to port followed by sharp climbing turn to starboard.

Cricket: German night fighter plane. Dalton Computer: early mechanical hand held computer used in air navigation. Darky: a system of radio signals whereby an aircraft that was lost could get assistance to return to base. Debriefing: where all crews met with the Intel Officer to share what had happened on the raid. Deck: the ground. Desert lily: urinal made from tin can. D.F.C.: Distinguished Flying Cross - medal awarded to ranks of warrant officer and above for conspicuous bravery or long term excellence while on active service in operation against the enemy. D.F.M.: Distinguished Flying Medal - same as a D.F.C., but for ranks of Flight Sergeant and lower. Dicey-do: a particularly hair-raising operation. Dim view, to take a: to view with skepticism or disapproval. Ditch: to perform a landing in the "drink" - usually when one's a/c was unable to fly any more. Dicky or 2nd Dicky: an inexperienced co-pilot flying with a veteran Wellington crew. Dicky flight: a training flight where an inexperienced operational pilot would go with an experienced pilot on a real op.

Dicky seat: the seat originally designed for a second pilot in the Wellington - often used by the bomb aimer in the Middle East and Italy until near the target. Dobhi: one's laundry. Dope: nitocelluloid liquid, similar to nail polish, used to tighten and harden the fabric covering of a "wimpy". Down the flights: the area on an airfield where the aircraft were serviced between ops. D.R.: dead reckoning navigation. Based on intended track, airspeed and time modified by wind speed and direction. Drink: an ocean, river or lake. Drome: aerodrome - an airfield. Driver, airframe: a pilot. This term was a play on the way that the RAF quartermaster labeled everything, such as "Gloves, Airman, For the use of". Duff: bad or not accurate, as in "duff gen". Elsan: chemical toilet carried on board Wellington aircraft. ENSA: entertainment troupe. E.P.I.P.: type of marquee tent (Egyptian Pattern, Indian Production). Erk: ground crew - from the Cockney pronunciation of aircraftsman. ETA: estimated time of arrival.

Faithful Annie: An Avro Anson - a twin engined aircraft usually used for training or transport. Finger, to remove one's: to hurry up and/or to pay attention. Fishheads: the navy. Fitter: ground crew responsible for engines and related controls. Flak: antiaircraft fire. From the German, "FLugAbwehrKanonen'. In reports "heavy flak" did not refer to the concentration or degree of flak but to the caliber observed. "Heavy flak" referred to anything of 88 mm and up while "light flak" consisted of quick firing 20, 30 or 40 mm. guns. By extension flak came to mean any grief given to you by anyone else. Flame float: small incendiary device that would float after being thrown out down the flare chute. The rear gunner would center the "pip" on his reflector sight on the point of light and then read off the degree of deviation from a scale on his turret ring - this would provide the navigator with the degree of wind drift blowing the aircraft off track. Flamer: aircraft shot down in flames. Flaming: mild, all purpose expletive.

Flaming onions: anti aircraft tracer. Flannel: to avoid the truth, to try and bluff one's way or to deceive. Flap: as in "theres a flap on" - excitement or some especially chaotic event. Flare path: a row of lights (either kerosene gooseneck flares, or, on a more permanent base, electric lights) that marked the boundary of the runway for taking off and landing. Flight: a bomber squadron was often divided into two Flights - "A" and "B" consisting of 6-8 aircraft and crews and commanded by a Squadron Leader who was the Flight Commander or Leader - "A" Flight aircraft were lettered from A-N and "B" Flight from M-Z. Flying brevet: cloth insignia worn on all uniforms including battle dress to indicate your aircrew trade. Pilots' brevets were always two winged. All other crew wore a single wing with their trade marked inside a circular area at the base of the wing. Flying log: every crew member was required to keep a flying logbook of every flight he took including air tests, transport, training and operational flying.

This book was signed by the Flight Leader each month and by the C/O of the squadron or the various Trade Leaders at the end of the tour (eg: a Bomb Aimer's log would be signed by the Bombing Leader, The Gunner's by the Gunnery Leader etc.). Form 78: RAF form also called Aircraft Movement Card which followed the aircraft from the manufacturer to its final resting place. Form 540: pages of this form make up the Operations Record Books (ORB), which included columns for date, aircraft type and number, crew, duty, time up, time down, details of sortie or flight, plus references and summaries. Form 700: R.A.F. Form signed by the captain of the aircraft taking responsibility for the aircraft from the ground crew. Fort or Fortress: Boeing B-17 bomber. Flown by USAAF out of Amendola and Tortorella as part of 15th Airforce, it was not used as a bomber in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations by RAF. Frozen on the stick: paralyzed with fear.

Fruit salad: crew would wear only the ribbons from their "gongs" in most situations, wrapped around a thin bar and sewn together, worn under the flying brevet. The various Colors of the "gong" ribbons would look like fruit salad in a tin. The term was usually used for someone who had a large collection of ribbons. F.T.U.: Ferry Training Unit - preparation for flying an aircraft out to an active theatre of war. Gallopers: Warrant Officer rank badges. (courtesy of Steve Skepper) Gardening: sowing mines in rivers, ports and oceans from low heights. Gee: the earliest form of Ground Control Radar installed in Italy. George: the automatic pilot. Gen: information. Either good (see "pukka") or bad (see "duff"). Gen: a person on squadron who knew what he was doing, as in "a gen bod". Gerry or Jerry: German. Get some in: advice given to "sprog crews" who felt like advising "old lags" on their opinion of operational flying. Often paired with "chum" as in, "get some in chum, before you tell your grandmother how to suck eggs".

Gharry: originally a horse drawn cart, it came to mean any form of wheeled transport. Gippy-tummy: "the screaming hab-dabs", "the trots in the extremis" - dysentery. Goldfish Club: a label pin and membership card given to personnel who had used a rubber dingy to escape a ditched aircraft. (courtesy of Steve Skepper) Gone for six: dead. Gong: a service medal. Goolie chit: a scrap of paper or piece of cloth that when shown to the natives of a country over which you might be shot down offered a reward if they would return you to the nearest Allied unit unharmed. Goolies: part of body that if shot off would provide a very nice soprano voice for the remainder of the owner's life - as in "I almost got my goolies shot off, last op". GP: General Purpose Bomb as in "6 x 250 GP". Gremlin: a mythical creature that lived on certain aircraft and caused it to go "u/s" at the most inconvenient times and then could not be located as the source of the problem. Green, in the: all engine control gauges operating correctly.

A needle which swung into the "red" indicated a malfunction. Green, to get the: to receive permission to take off, generally expanded to refer to getting permission for anything. To give an aircraft permission to take off the airfield control officer would signal in Morse code using an Aldis Lamp with a green lens. Usually the Morse code signal was the letter of the aircraft. Greens, three: both main "undercart" legs and the tail-wheel down and locked. This was indicated by three lights on the flying panel. Up and locked would be indicated by "three reds". Grief, to come to: to be destroyed or to get into trouble. Ground wallah: an officer who did not fly (also see "penguin" and "mahogany Spitfire"). Groupie: Group Captain - usual rank of officer who commanded a Wing. Group: a formation of "Wings". Gubbins: equipment or needed material (eg: "has that kite got the gubbins for dropping a cookie?"). Guinea Pig Club: after an incident where aircrew were extremely badly burned they would be sent to East Grinstead Hospital in the U.K. where some of the foremost plastic surgeons of the day performed "cutting edge" surgery.

The term was made up by the patients themselves. Many today proudly wear the maroon tie of the club. H2S: early airborne centimetric radar used by Halifaxes. From "How To See" or "hydrogen sulphide" (implying the system "stinks") according to the two most popular legends. Hack: aircraft on squadron used for general communications duties or as the CO's private aircraft. Half-pint hero: a boaster. Halibag: Handley Page Halifax - bomber used by 614 Squadron in the Pathfinder role. H.C.: High Capacity - see "cookie". Hedge-hopping: flying so low that the aircraft appears to hop over the hedges. Herc: A Bristol Hercules sleeve valve air cooled radial engine of the type used on the Wellington Mk.X. Hop the twig: Canadian term meaning to crash fatally. Illuminator: a crew tasked with dropping flares on a night target so that the following aircraft could aim accurately - usual load was 54 parachute flares. Intel: intelligence officer or intelligence report. Irvin Jacket: Standard R.A.F. Leather Flying Jacket lined with fleece.

Jankers: to be put "on charge" for a violation of service discipline. Jerry Can: excellent German invention of heavy duty portable can for holding water, gasoline or other liquid. It quickly replaced leaky tin cans used by RAF and was manufactured in England to the German pattern. Jink away: sharp maneuver, sudden evasive action of aircraft. Juice: aviation fuel (as in "we are low on juice"). Also "gravy". Aviation fuel was 100 Octane gasoline. K.D.: Khaki Drill. The R.A.F. tropical uniform replaced R.A.F. blue battledress in tropical and desert climates. Keen: eager or reliable - "keen as mustard "- a pun on Kean's mustard powder. KIA: Killed in Action. Kipper Kite: Coastal Command aircraft that protected fishing fleets. Kit: ones belongings, both issue and personal (hence kitbag). Also used to mean equipment, as in "Does that erk have the kit to repair the hole in the starboard wing?". Kite: an aircraft. Khamsin: a desert dust storm.

Knot: measure of air or ground speed - one nautical mile per hour (1.150 statute miles per hour). KR's: King's Regulations - see "jankers". Lib: Consolidated B-24 "Liberator" bomber. Line shoot or shooting a line: exaggerating one's accomplishments, usually responded to by the line "there I was upside down, nothing on the clock but the makers name...." L.M.F.: Lack of Moral Fibre - inability to continue on ops. Lose your wool: lose composure. M & V: Tinned Meat and Vegetable Stew. M.A.A.F.: Mediterranean Allied Air Force. Mae West: inflatable life vest worn over flying suit (thus called because when inflated it made one look like the "pigeon breasted" movie star). Mahogany Spitfire: a desk "flown" by "penguins" and "ground wallahs". M.A.S.A.F.: Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force. M.C.: Medium Capacity Bomb as in "500 lb. MC". Mepacrine: standard anti-malarial drug of the day. Mess: the place assigned for the ranks, NCO's and Officers to eat or relax.

These were separated and there was a protocol as to who could enter who's mess. Met: Meteorology Officer or weather report. M.I.A.: Missing in action. Mickey Mouse: a bombing panel that consisted of a clockwork distributor and selection switches (sort of like a Mickey Mouse watch). Mob: Royal Air Force. M.T.: Motorized Transport. M.T.O.: Mediterranean Theatre of Operations. M.U.: Maintenance Unit. An airfield where aircraft were taken to be repaired when the work could not be done on the squadron. NAAFI: Navy, Army, Air Force Institute. An organization which attempted to bring comforts to the crews (tea and buns, cigarettes etc.) to raise morale. N.C.O.: noncommissioned Officer - in the RAF this meant Sergeant or Flight Sergeant. Nickels: propaganda leaflets. Nobby: all purpose nickname for anyone called "Clark" or "Clarke". Originally "clarks" (now almost universally spelled "clerks", but in the U.K. often pronounced "clarks") wore top hats as a sign of their trade.

The gentry or "nobs" also wore top hats and thus the clarks came by the name "nobby" because of their "posh" hats. Odd bod: crew member who had lost his crew or who had fallen behind the rest of his crew in number of operational trips and who flew as a "spare" with another crew. Old lag: experienced airman. Old Man, the: the Squadron C/O. On the beam: some stations (but not many in Italy) were equipped with a landing beam which told the pilot he was on the correct glide slope for landing. If he flew too high he would hear a series of morse dots and if too low a series of morse dashes. The idea was to keep a steady tone in one's earphones. This system also showed up in some aircraft as a set of lights showing that one was on the correct beam or too high or low. Also used for flying on a navigation beam such as Gee or Oboe.

The phrase was generally applied to being on the right course of action about nearly anything, as in "I think the Wingco's on the beam about not flying over the Alps again." Op: operation - an attack on the enemy (USAAF term - "mission"). Opsum: Operational Summary - prepared by the Intelligence Officer from debriefing notes recording the results of an operation. Oranges: Vitamin C tablets. ORB: Operational Record Book. The official account of operations flown by the squadron. OTE: Operational Tour Expired. What a crew was after completing 40 operations. OTU: Operational Training Unit. Overload tanks: extra fuel tanks required when the Wellington was operated at its extreme range. Two could be fitted in the bomb bays and one could be fitted on the rest cot in the fuselage. Pack up, to: to break down, as in "My port engine packed up coming out of the target area". Packet, to catch a: to be on the receiving end of offensive fire, as in "I heard Nobby caught a packet over Verona last night". Penguin: term for ground officers with no operational experience - a bird with wings that can't fly. Plaster: to bomb heavily and accurately.

Plonk: cheap Italian wine, also "AC plonk" (AC 2 was the lowest rank in the R.A.F.). Pom: Australian term for the British. Also "Pommy" used as in "What a typical Pommy cockup". Port: the left side of an aircraft as seen from pilots seat. Posted: orders sending a crewman to another station or responsibility. Prang: to crash an a/c or to hit a target well. Press on regardless: unofficial motto of RAF, meant to show "keenness" to fly through adversity to the target - often stupid advice. Many men died "pressing on regardless" of severe icing and "duff" engines and died because of it. Often used in an ironic way to show resignation to keeping on with a task no matter how ridiculous or unpleasant. Also used as an expression to "buck up" those who were depressed about something. Prune, Pilot Officer: a fictional officer in the R.A.F. training manuals who demonstrated all of the things that could go wrong if procedures were not followed correctly.

PSP: Perforated or Pierced Steel Planking (also called Marsden Matting) - steel mats used on newly created airfields to hold the weight of aircraft, used as taxiways, hardstandings, and runways. Pukka: genuine, as in "pukka gen". Pulpit: cockpit of aircraft, also "office". Pundit: a flashing light which signaled a Morse Code letter in order to assist navigation. P.W.: Prisoner of War. US term - P.O.W. Queen Mary: an articulated "semi" trailer used to transport aircraft or aircraft parts by ground to M.U.'s for service or refurbishment. RAFVR: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - members of the RAF for the duration of the hostilities. Rigger: ground crew responsible for airframe (special areas might include "instrument basher" and "sparks" to look after instruments and electrical systems). Roddie or rodded bombs: bomb fitted with a rod in the nose so that it would explode above the ground - used in antipersonnel ops. Ropey: uncomplimentary adjective "A ropey landing", "A ropey type", "A ropey evening", etc.

Round: one cartridge of .303 ammunition. Ammunition was measured in number of rounds carried. Runup: to test engines for magneto drop before taking off - also the route taken into the target area before the bomb dropping point was reached. Salvo: bomb selection which released all bombs at the same time. SBC: Small Bomb Container - canister to hold a load of the standard 4 lb. magnesium incendiary bomb - usual load was 6 to 8 SBC's. Scramble: mainly a fighter term. To get airborne as quickly as possible. Scrambled eggs: a reference to the gold braid on high ranking officers' hats. Scarecrow: crews reported aircraft blowing up without evidence of attacks (e.g. tracer), and the story arose that the Germans were firing scarecrow shells to simulate stricken aircraft, so as to demoralise crews. Scream downhill: execute a power dive. Screamer: bomb that makes a whistling sound as it comes down. Screened: a period after completing a tour when the crewman could not be called on to do operational flying. Scrub: to cancel an op. Shakey-do: see "dicey do".

Shot down in flames: crossed in love or severely reprimanded. Shot up: very drunk. Shot to ribbons: totally incapable through drink. Show: performance or situation - ("that was a good show over Budapest" or "he put on a bad show"). Shufti: to look. Six, to hit for a: to score maximum points - to put on a very good show (from cricket) . Skipper: the pilot/captain of the aircraft and crew leader. In the air his rule was law regardless of his rank. S.O.C.: Signed off Charge. Aircraft no longer usable or wanted by R.A.F. Sortie: one aircraft doing one trip to target and back. Spam: canned meat product produced by Hormel in the US. A substitute for real meat (see Bully Beef). Spam can: a B-24 Liberator. Sparks: term for either the ground crew who looked after the electrical systems or the aircrew wireless operator. Spawny: very lucky. Spoof: a diversionary raid or operation. Spot on: see "bang on". Sprog: a "new boy" fresh from training - inexperienced (also a "sprog crew").

Squadron Leader: rank of officer who usually led a Flight (or two Flights, "A" and "B" on a usual squadron). Squirt: to fire a short burst from machine guns, as in "the rear AG gave him a squirt before we went into the corkscrew". Starboard: the right side of the aircraft as seen from pilot's seat. Stick: bomb selection so that bombs would be released at timed intervals from their carriers in the bomb bay (also to release only a part of bomb load - going around a second time to drop the rest). Strip, to tear off a: to be severely reprimanded by a superior. In extreme cases a "strip" (ie: rank stripes), would be literally be stripped off thus, demoting an airman for extreme problems. Tea: next to gasoline the most important liquid in the RAF. Tee Emm: R.A.F. Magazine (after Training Manual). Ten-tenths: no visibility because of total cloud cover. Also 10/10ths flak - very heavy concentration. T.D.: time delay fuse setting on bomb which determined when bomb would explode.

Theatre or Theatre of Operations: the geographic area where combat was taking place - eg: The Mediterranean Theatre, The Far East Theatre etc. T.I.: Target Indicator - colored pyrotechnic devices dropped by Pathfinder Forces to identify targets, effectively used only after April 1944 by 205 Group. Ticket: pilot's certificate. Tiggerty-boo: all in order (tiggerty from the Hindustani teega). Tin basher: metal worker. Tin fish: torpedo. Twitch: body tremors developed by aircrew after a number of operations - "he's got the twitch" - sign of operational stress. Tommy: after Tommy Atkins (Kipling). Originally used to denote the British infantryman, later to be used by the Germans as "tommi" as their equivalent to "Gerry". U.S. equivalent - "G.I." T.O.T.: time on target. The time briefed for aircraft to attack target area. Tool along: fly aimlessly. Touch bottom: to crash. Touch down: to land. Tour of Operations: the amount of time or number of "ops" that a crewman had to complete before being "screened".

Tracer: a type of machine gun round which glowed as it moved showing the way to the target and allowing for adjustments in sighting. Unfortunately this also gave away bomber's position. Usually every fourth round was a tracer. Trip: an op. Twit: see "clot". Type: a kind of person ( as in: "he's an aircrew type" or "he's a bolshie type"). Two-six (2-6): general base call "down the flights" that all personnel were needed on a job. Umbrella: parachute. Undercart: the undercarriage of an aircraft. Two main wheels and a tail wheel in the case of "taildraggers" like the Wellington. Two main and a nose wheel for "tricycle" aircraft like the B-24. Attempting a landing with the "cart up" was considered a "putting up a large black" for the pilot. U/S: unserviceable - broken or not available. Vees: a brand of wartime cigarette. Vegetables: acoustic or magnetic mines sowed on "gardening" expeditions to various "beds". VHF: Very High Frequency - Radio band. Vic: aircraft formation in the shape of a V.

Usually three aircraft but could be more. Waafize: the substitution of WAAF for male members of a unit. Wad: cake or bun or scone "char and a wad". Waffle/waffling: out of control, losing height; or cruising along unconcernedly and indecisively. Wallah: chap or fellow. Wallop: beer. Wanks: strong liquor. Washed out: to fail as a student pilot or other trade. One was then usually remustered as something more suitable to one's abilities. Weaving: a gentle form of corkscrew. An evasive maneuver to allow gunners maximum view around aircraft. Weaving, to get: to get going, hurry up. Wimpy: Vickers Armstrong's Wellington Bomber - after J. Wellington Wimpy from "popeye" comic strip. Window: strips of metalized paper cut to length of wavelength of enemy radar to confuse search and control radar - effective on radar controlled guns and searchlights. Wing: unit made up of two or sometimes three squadrons. Wingco: Wing Commander (rank of officer who led a squadron).

Wizard or wizzo: excellent - superlative (eg: a "wizard prang"). Yellow doughnut: collapsible dinghy carried on aircraft. Yellow peril: training aircraft. Vickers Wellington - bomber Vickers Wellington Virtual Aircraft Museum / United Kingdom / Vickers The Wellington, which served Bomber Command so well in the early years of World War II, is remembered by the RAF and the people of Britain as the 'Wimpey' - a nickname derived from an American cartoon character possessing the proud name J. Wellington Wimpey. It was designed to meet an Air Ministry requirement for a long-range medium bomber under Specification B.9/32 and evolved as a mid-wing monoplane with a fuselage of oval cross-section. Both of these major structures were of the geodetic construction which Barnes Wallis had introduced in the Wellesley. But experience with the latter and development of the geodetic concept made it possible for the individual components (which were built up into the 'basket-weave' structure) to be smaller and lighter in weight without any loss of structuial integrity by comparison with the Wellesley.

Wings, fuselage and tail unit were fabric-covered; power plant comprised two wing-mounted engines; and the tailwheel-type landing-gear units were hydraulically retractable. 'Heavy' defensive armament - comprising five machine-guns in nose and tail turrets and a ventral dustbin - would, it was believed, enable a flight of these aircraft to put up such a curtain of fire that fighter escort would be superfluous. Those who held such beliefs (as for the Boeing B-17 Fortress developed in America) were to discover their error very quickly. The prototype Wellington made its first flight on 15 June 1936, but it was not until October 1938 that production aircraft began to enter RAF service. Less than one year later (on 4 September 1939) Wellingtons were in action against targets in Germany. Early deployment on daylight raids showed that these and other British bomber aircraft were extremely vulnerable to fighter attack. Following the loss of ten Wellingtons from a force of 24 despatched on an armed reconnaissance of Wilhelmshaven on 18 December 1939, the type was withdrawn from daylight operations.

As a night bomber, however, the Wellington proved an invaluable weapon during the early years of Bomber Command's offensive against Germany. Wellington production was to total 11,461 aircraft and embraced many versions. These included Mk I bombers (782kW Bristol Pegasus XVIIIs) and the DWI with degaussing ring to trigger magnetic mines. Differing engines distinguished the 853kW Rolls-Royce Merlin X-powered Mk II; 1,021kW Bristol Hercules XI Mk III; and Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Mk IV. The Wellington Mk V was a high-altitude aircraft with pressurised cabin, no nose turret and increased wing span, followed by the high-altitude Mk VI with 1,192kW Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 or 62 R6SM engines. Mk VII was designated an experimental model and Mk VIII was the first of many reconnaissance versions. Mk IX aircraft were Mk Is modified as troop carriers. The Mk X with Hercules VI or XVI engines was the last bomber. Wellingtons Mk XI, XII and XIII were ASV radar-equipped aircraft for Coastal Command.

The Mk XIV with Hercules XVII engines was the final reconnaissance version. In addition to these specific versions there were many variants, and Wellingtons were also used for training and transport. 3-View The REAL monster from Loch Ness – Vickers Wellington ‘R for Robert’ | Shortfinals's Blog The REAL monster from Loch Ness – Vickers Wellington ‘R for Robert’ By: Camera: NIKON D40 The Vickers Wellington was a giant. Alright, it only had two engines and an 80 foot wingspan, but its deeds were the stuff of legend, and without this aircraft there would be no 1,000 bomber raids by Bomber Command, and it provided a strong backbone for the Royal Air Force throughout the war. Just like the Spitfire, it was on active service, and in production, from the first to the very last day of World War Two. Where do we start? Film star, degausser of magnetic mines, trainer of radar operators for nightfighters…yes, and we haven’t even mentioning bombing yet! In 1936, the Royal Air Force was looking to expand its bomber force.

Conventional theory in the 1930s, as laid down by General Guilio Douhet, dictated that the bomber would always get through. The best thing for any European nation was to build bombers – lots of them! Specification B.9/32 requested a twin engine bomber capable of carrying a 1,000lb bombload for 1,000 miles, and carrying a machinegun armament in turrets, not open gun positions, as had been the norm up until that point. Barnes Wallis, the Derbyshire-born engineering genius, had devised an infinitely variable type of lattice-like structural components known as geodetics. These could be connected together to form a light, strong airframe capable of sustaining an immense amount of damage. Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd. had a Chief Designer, in R.K. Pierson, who thought that the company had a good chance of getting the new bomber contract. Geodetics had been used successfully in the ultra-long range Wellesley bomber, and he now took two of the same reliable Bristol Pegasus radial engines (the Wellesley used one) and the geodetic structure to build the B.9/32.

The structure was SO secret that when the prototype was exhibited at the Hendon Air Show, the front and rear gun turrets were covered over so the internal structure would not be seen. Another prototype was built to a revised Specification B.29/36, powered by two 915 hp Pegasus X engines, and the RAF ordered 180 of these as the Wellington 1. When WW2 broke out, improved versions of the Wellington were in squadron service, and armed raids in groups of up to 25 were sent out to attack German naval targets in daylight. The result of the raid of 18th December, 1939 was a disaster, and 22 Wellingtons from Nos. 9, 37 and 149 Squadrons were attacked by Bf109s and Bf110s on a raid over the Heligoland Bight (a bay of the North Sea, on the German coast). A total of 15 aircraft were either shot down or written off.

The early Wellington lacked self-sealing fuel tanks and armament which could cover the flanks of the aircraft, so the Luftwaffe fighters stood off and sent 20mm cannon fire into the formation. This raid changed the course of the RAF’s bomber offensive; from now on, they would bomb at night, and singly. Soon, improved, armoured and upgraded Wellingtons were rolling off the assembly lines at no less than three factories – Vickers at Weybridge, and the new plants at Chester and Blackpool; these factories also contributed over 400 Mk II Wellingtons (Rolls-Royce Merlin) and 220 Mk IV (Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp). Self-sealing tanks, beam guns and new 1,500 hp Hercules XI radials gave the Wellington a 1,540 mile range, and a 4,500lb bomb load. With Czech, Polish, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian crews forming new squadrons, the bomber offensive began to pick up.

Unfortunately, the Luftwaffe had devised a new defence system for its nightfighters, called ‘Helle Nachtjagd Verfahren’, or sometimes, in English, the Kammhuber Line (after General Josef Kammhuber, the Luftwaffe General). This dealt with bombers as they passed through assigned ‘boxes’, and the kill ratio climbed to unacceptable levels. Bomber Command got a new, controversial commander, “Bomber” Harris (later, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sir Arthur Harris). He organized concentrated ‘bomber streams’ which were designed to overwhelm a ‘box’ with targets, so that the German nightfighters didn’t know which way to turn first (rather like a barracuda when faced with a vast shoal of prey fish). The ultimate expression of this tactic were the so-called ‘Thousand Bomber Raids’. Harris realized that by stripping the training units, using instructors, and every available aircraft, he could JUST about field 1,000 bombers for one raid. This took weeks to organize, but Harris finally hit Cologne on the night of 30/31st May 1942 with 1,047 aircraft.

No less than 602 of these bombers were Wellingtons, but the writing was on the wall for the Wellington as over 70 Lancasters took part, and other four-engined bombers would form the bulk of Bomber Command from now on. The Wellington moved on to other theatres of war such as the Mediterranean and the Far East, where fighter opposition was less intense, and also performed the vital task of training the enormous numbers of Bomber Command aircrew now required by the ‘meat grinder’ in the night skies over the Ruhr and Berlin. RAF Coastal Command found that the Wellington could drop torpedoes, and also attack U-boats with depth charges and 3″ rockets. When the U-boats took to travelling across the Bay of Biscay at night, Wellingtons started to use AVS Mk 3 (a centrimetric radar) and a powerful searchlight, called a Leigh Light to continue the attack – a Wellington of No 172 Squadron sank the first U-boat in this fashion on the 6th July, 1942; eventually, the tally rose to 26.

When the German magnetic mine was creating havoc in British coastal waters, Vickers fitted a 48 foot diameter aluminium ring, containing a large magnetic coil, around several Wellingtons (renamed DWI Mk I or Mk II), and the RAF flew them up and down coasts and harbours only a few feet above the sea. The induced magnetic field caused the sensitive fuse in the mines to explode. The Wellington was also the ‘star’ of two Ministry of Information films. ‘Target for Tonight’ (1941) used a real RAF squadron to show a fictional raid by ‘F for Freddy’ on a German target. Real RAF aircrew were used, including (later) Wing Commander Percy Pickard, who lost his life leading the famous Amiens Raid; the film won an Honorary Oscar. The other short film was ‘Workers Week-end’ showed how one Wellington – serial ‘LN514’ – was built in the record time of 24 hours and 40 minutes (the group of volunteers was hoping to make it in under 30 hours).

Many Wellingtons were built as unarmed transports (C Mk XV and XVI) navigation or crew trainers, and some modified as specialist trainers for night-fighter crews, with a large radome fitted in place of the front turret, and multiple radar stations for trainees in the fuselage. Which brings us to Loch Ness……..one of the surviving Wellingtons from that disastrous Heligoland Bight raid, N2980, of No. 149 Squadron, coded ‘R for Robert’, was transferred to No. 37 Squadron went on to complete another 14 missions. She was then assigned to No. 20 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, where N2980 was to be used to train navigators. On New Year’s Eve, she took off with six trainee navigators on board. The aircraft was commanded by Squadron Leader L Marlwood-Elton who had Pilot Officer Slatter as second pilot, and Sgt Fensome as rear gunner. Whilst flying at 8,000ft over the Highlands, they encountered a vicious snow squall, and lost an engine.

Marlwood-Elton and Slatter elected to stay with the aircraft but gave the crew the order to bail out; and they all made successful landings except Sgt. Fensome, the rear gunner, who lost his life when his parachute failed to open. The Wellington made a forced landing in the only place which offered a chance of survival in this mountainous region – Lock Ness. The two pilots inflated their dingy and paddled ashore, as the Wellington slipped into the depths. There the story might have ended, apart from the never-ending attempts to find ‘Nessie’. ‘R for Robert’ was spotted on side-scanning sonar in 1981, in an excellent state of preservation for an aircraft that had made a crash landing. The aircraft was raised on the 21st of September, 1985, by the Loch Ness Wellington Association (with a large financial contribution from the National Heritage Fund) and transported to the very factory where it had been built, by British Aerospace.

The site had become a major transport museum – Brooklands, on the outskirts of London – and a long, careful restoration began, As you can see from the photograph, new sections of the geodetic structure have been added, and some of the existing fabric is still in place. This is one of only two Wellingtons in existence out of a total of 11,461 built, and the ONLY one which actually took part in combat. Amazingly, when a car battery was connected to the fore and aft identification lights, they worked! (See photograph) The Wellington might have not been able to carry much more than 4,500lbs of bombs, nor was it the fastest of bomber aircraft, but it was immensely strong and could survive a lot of damage. It was regarded with enormous affection by its crews, so much so that its RAF nickname ‘Wimpy’, from the Popeye character, J. Wellington Wimpy, stuck.

Question: What was the R.A.F. nickname for the Wellington bomber
Answer: Wimpey